Well this evening we experienced a little miracle. Cody & I went to parents' night at Finn's preschool, and when we returned Cody went out to the back yard. He found a little hummingbird just sitting on the deck. The first miracle was that no cats were let out while the little bird lay there. My mom had seen it an hour before but had just glanced at it and thought it was a leaf because it was so small and still.
So I rushed out to see what I could do for the little birdy. He just sat there, slightly wedged in the crack of the boards of the deck, panting. It didn't look like he was broken in any way, nor could I see any puncture wounds. I picked him up and sat with him in my hand in the grass in the sun. Cody got some sugar-water and we tried to get him to drink. Cody has saved many a bird who apparently just needed to drink. But a hummingbird's beak is so small you can't just pry it open like a chicken's! So we dipped the end of his long little beak into the water but he wouldn't stick his long little tongue out to drink it. We also tried to set him on the hummingbird feeder on the ground but he didn't drink. He sat with his feet on the rim but if I tried to move my hand he would just tip over into the grass.
He did flutter his wings a bit and once he did fly across the yard but he was very slow (for a hummingbird) and didn't quite clear the fence. So I picked him back up and just sat there with him for a while and he was very calm and just sat in my hand while I stroked his head with my finger. Finn came out and we said a little prayer that God would bless the little bird to recover so he could fly away and find his mommy. And if it happened that he passed from this world, we prayed that his little bird soul would fly up to heaven to make it a little brighter this day.
So we kept the cats and dog inside, and we put him in a box in the sunshine and put a little bit of sugar-water in it so he could drink if he wanted. A little while later, after the sun had gone from the yard, I moved the box onto the porch. Before dinner I checked on him and he sat in the box, in the exact same position.
After dinner, I went to check on him again - and he was gone. It was dark so I got the flashlight and looked all over. I checked in and around the box, I checked the grass under the deck to make sure he didn't fall, I checked the backyard as well as I could and around the fence line. I checked around the hummingbird feeder... he was gone. So I guess that maybe he had flown into the window and was in shock and maybe was able to snap out of it. Maybe he was able to fly away home. I'd really like to think that he did.
PS
These are some amazing pictures that Cody was able to take of a bird that you don't often get to see so still and close-up! You can click on the pictures to see them full size - they are quite amazing.
So I rushed out to see what I could do for the little birdy. He just sat there, slightly wedged in the crack of the boards of the deck, panting. It didn't look like he was broken in any way, nor could I see any puncture wounds. I picked him up and sat with him in my hand in the grass in the sun. Cody got some sugar-water and we tried to get him to drink. Cody has saved many a bird who apparently just needed to drink. But a hummingbird's beak is so small you can't just pry it open like a chicken's! So we dipped the end of his long little beak into the water but he wouldn't stick his long little tongue out to drink it. We also tried to set him on the hummingbird feeder on the ground but he didn't drink. He sat with his feet on the rim but if I tried to move my hand he would just tip over into the grass.
He did flutter his wings a bit and once he did fly across the yard but he was very slow (for a hummingbird) and didn't quite clear the fence. So I picked him back up and just sat there with him for a while and he was very calm and just sat in my hand while I stroked his head with my finger. Finn came out and we said a little prayer that God would bless the little bird to recover so he could fly away and find his mommy. And if it happened that he passed from this world, we prayed that his little bird soul would fly up to heaven to make it a little brighter this day.
So we kept the cats and dog inside, and we put him in a box in the sunshine and put a little bit of sugar-water in it so he could drink if he wanted. A little while later, after the sun had gone from the yard, I moved the box onto the porch. Before dinner I checked on him and he sat in the box, in the exact same position.
After dinner, I went to check on him again - and he was gone. It was dark so I got the flashlight and looked all over. I checked in and around the box, I checked the grass under the deck to make sure he didn't fall, I checked the backyard as well as I could and around the fence line. I checked around the hummingbird feeder... he was gone. So I guess that maybe he had flown into the window and was in shock and maybe was able to snap out of it. Maybe he was able to fly away home. I'd really like to think that he did.
PS
These are some amazing pictures that Cody was able to take of a bird that you don't often get to see so still and close-up! You can click on the pictures to see them full size - they are quite amazing.
2 comments:
Super cool! I'll bet he's buzzing around somewhere nearby your house. Good save Finn & Mom.
Great bird story. I think every family with children needs one of those. We loved our baby birds...I am sure Finn will remember it for a long time!
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